Section 17Sec./Art. 17

Section 29 of Commonwealth Act No. 146, as amended, is hereby amended to read as follows:

"SEC. 29. All hearings and investigations before the Commission shall be governed by rules adopted by the Commission, and in the conduct thereof the Commission shall not be bound by the technical rules of legal evidence:Provided,That the Hearing Officer may summarily punish for contempt by a fine not exceeding Two thousand pesos (P2,000.00) or by imprisonment not exceeding ten days, or both, any person guilty of misconduct in the presence of the Hearing Officer or so near the same as to interrupt the hearing or session or any proceedings before them, including cases in which a person present at a hearing, session, or investigation held by the Hearing Officer refuses to be sworn as a witness or to answer as such when lawfully required to do so.

To enforce the provisions of this section, the Commission may, if necessary, request the assistance of the municipal or city police for the execution of any order made for said purpose."